Kansas higher education funding gets new legislative scrutiny

How much do administrators make? How much is spent on research? How many students earn degrees in four years? How many professors are tenured? How much class time is taught by graduate assistants?

“The scrutiny has never been more intense,” said Tim Emert, a member of the Kansas Board of Regents, which oversees the state universities.

A group of key lawmakers took a six-day tour of the state’s universities to better grasp what taxpayers get for the $750 million spent on higher education. Their verdict could be rendered at budget time.